Dispensing device



ifi 'l" www 38 l5 330 f lll'- J HUM? F. M. COOK DI SFENSING DEVICE Filed Dec.

Sept. 18, 1934.

Panarea sept. Is, 1934 I ,i

' UNITED sTATEef PATENT OFFICE l t DIsPENsING DEVICE Frank M. Cook, San Francisco, Calif. Application member 27, `1932, serial No.'s4a,s43

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a dispensing device and more particularly to a device adapted for the storage and display of relatively flat articles such as slices of bread, sandwiches, and packages of like- Another object is to provide an improved apparatus adapted for storage and display of relatively flat articles of different sizes and novel means associated with said device for dispensing l such articles singly by an operator.

, A further object is to provide in an apparatus having the above characteristics a novel rear wall that'shall position articles contained thereinI in such a manner as to render them readily accessible to the dispensing means.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus having the above characteristics that shall be novel, simple in structure, efcient in operation and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

'Ihe above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the further description of-the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein likeI reference characters refer to like parts. It is to be distinctly understood that the drawing is not a definition of the invention but merely illustrates one form of a device for carrying out the invention. The scope ofthe invention will be dened by the appended claim.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is the sectional view taken along the line II--II of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view illustratng a different embodiment of the invention.

The present invention may be employed for storing and displaying relatively flat articles which are arranged therein in superposed relation wherein the flat articles may be dispensed one at a time by means of a slide member associated with the bottom of the device. The present device is particularly adaptable for storing a loaf of pre-sliced'bread therein, and dispensing one slice at a time. However, the device may be employed for such articles as packages of mens garters or the like. A

In the form shown the present device com- (ci. 31a-.67)

prises an elongated cabinet indicated in its entirety by V10, having side walls 11 and 12, rear wall 13, top 14 andbottom 15. The cabinet 10 is provided with a glass front 16 which may be hinged along one edge as shown at 1'7 and provided with a releasable catch 18 on the opposite edge for releasably maintaining the front 16 in closed position. The bottom of the door 16 terminates in spaced relation to the bottom l5 and provides an opening 19 through which articles contained in the cabinet 10 may be dispensed. In Figures 1-3 inclusive, the device isprovided with an inner rear wall 21. The latter extends from a point adjacent the top of the cabinet to a point adjacent the bottom of cabinet. The wall 21 inclines inwardly and downwardly and is adapted to shift the article 20 forward of the cabinet as they approach the bottom of thev cabinet. The rear wall 21 terminates at its bottom with a rearwardly extending horizontal flange 22. The latter is adapted to connect with the adjacent portion of the rear wall 13 and defines a recess 23 between the bottom of the cabinet and the flange 22.

Novel means is provided for dispensing the articles contained within the cabinet one at a time through the opening 19 which means comprises a slide member 24 disposed in slidable relation on to bottom -l5 of the cabinet. Suitable guide-ways for receiving the side edges of the slide member 24 are provided by means of members 25 and 26 carried by the lower inner surfaces of side walls I l1 and 12. These members 25 and 26 are spaced from the bottom 15, a sufcient distance to receive the edges of the slide member 24. The slide member 24 terminates at its outer end in an upwardly extending flange portion 27, the latter being employed for retaining an article dispensed from the cabinet o n the slide member 24. The front edge of the slide member 24 is further provided with an actuating member 28 which may be an integral part of slide 24 and curve to form a convenient finger grip. The rear edge' of the slide member 24 terminates in aportion folded back on itself presenting an inclined surface 30 and a horizontal surface 31, the latter terminating in a downwardly extending flange 32. .'I'he flange 32 provides sufficient surface for contacting the co-operating surface of an article to be dispensed from thev cabinet. The inclined surface 30 and horizontal surface 31 are very important features of the invention and render the device operable for dispensing articles of different sizes. For instance, when the slide member 24 is in its outer-most position as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and having dispensed b' size will come to rest on the horizontal portion 31.

It can be seen therefore. that in each of these instances the slide member 24 may be returned to its inner-most position as the slanting portion 30 will operate to lift the smaller article and v those superposed thereon, while the horizontal portion 3-1 will operate to raise the column of articles when the larger article 35 rests upon the horizontal surfaces 31. The recess 23 in the rear lower-most portion of the cabinet is adapted to receive the incline face 30, horizontal face 31 and flange 32 when the slide 24 is in its normal position. 'I'his permits the next article in line to fall directly upon the slide member 24 and in dispensing position in front of the flange 32. Novel means is provided for returning the slide member 24 to its inner-most position which means-comprises an elongated groove 37 provided in the bottom 15 of the cabinet. 'I'he groove 37 is adapted to receive a downwardly projecting lug provided on the slide member 24. The lug 38 is resiliently connected to the lower rear wall 13 of the cabinet by a suitable spring 39. It will now be understood that when the slide member 24 is manually moved outwardly by the finger grip 28 that the lug 38 will move along the groove 37 in the bottom 15 of the cabinet and when the finger grip 28 is released that the spring 39 will operate to return the slide member to its inner-most pot.sition.

Fig. 4 illustrates a slightly different embodiment of the invention wherein the inclined rear wall 21 is omitted and the rear wall 13 is stamped to form a plurality of inwardly extending projections 21a. These projections 21a are substanvtially semi-conical in shape and provide a base 22a spaced from the bottom 15 of the cabinet 10 and form a recess 23a for receiving the innermost portion ofthe slide member 24. It will .be noted that the semi-conical projections will cause the articles to move forwardly within the cabinet as such articles approach the bottom of the cabinet and in dispensing position on the slide member 24.

A suitable stop for eliminating the outward movement of the slide member 24 may be provided which stop member may consist in a horizontal member 40 connecting the members 25 and 26 adjacent the outer ends of the members 25 and 26. The member 40 is so positioned that it will Lames? -be received by the groove 41 formed by the slanting surface 30 and horizontal surface 31 on the rear of the slide memberso that when the groove 41 comes in contact with the member 40 the latter will operate to prevent further outward movement of slide 24.

Accordingly I have provided a novel dispensing device for storing and displaying relatively flat articles and having novel means for dispensing such articles one at a time. 'Ihe present device is positive and emcient in operation, simple in structure, durable and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

While I have illustrated and described certain embodiments of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the structures here illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:-

A dispensing device for storing and displaying articles-comprising an elongated cabinet having a top and bottom, a hinged sight door which terminates short of the bottom of the cabinet, side -walls, a first rear wall and a second rear wall, the

last said wall disposed at an angle to the rst said rear wall and terminating at its bottom in spaced relation to the bottom of said cabinet and to first rear wall, and forming a recess at the rear of the cabinet between the termination of said second wall and the bottom of the cabinet, a slide member slidably mounted on the inside bottom of said cabinet, the rear edge of said slidable me'mber being terminated in a portion folded back on itself into a loop with an upper wall inclined upwardly from the plane of the slide member, said vloop having snug slidable fittin said recess whereby the slide member is normally retained within said cabinet by frictional contact between the loop and recess wall, a cross-bar member extending laterally transversely of the cabinet adjacent the bottom thereof and overlying the slide member, said cross-bar member being adapted for engaging said loop of the slide member to prevent inadvertent removal of the slide member when it is drawn outwardly from the cabinet to dispensing position, said cross-bar being positioned to engage said loop at a position where the inclined portion of the slide member overlies the forward portion of the cabinet bottom so as to provide a wedge relationship between the incline of the slide member and the articles to be dispensed.

` FRANK M. COOK. 

